[ESPN / Watkins] A sitdown with Rockets owner Leslie Alexander, GM Daryl Morey

Les wanted someone to draw in money while we did a quick rebuild. He had no idea Morey was gonna score Harden, I don't think Morey even knew that. They couldn't keep lowry, he was having problems with Mchale. And they chose Lin over Dragon.

 

I like his comments today.

Probably found it insulting and embarrassing that the team has showed pathetic effort this season and I don't blame him.

 

What?

 

Ok so McNair didn't make any changes, but he did huff and puff and say he was upset. So that's something, right?

 

You're right, but it helps in being decisive. If he didn't view it as his team he wouldn't have made his decision so quick, he would have been more worried about the perceptions of fans.

 

Obviously we have no idea of knowing this but Les is a New Yorker and they tend to be a lot more outspoken in what's on their minds. I would think he had a sit down with Harden last night about this and told him your my guy but you flat out arnt leading my team like you did last year.

My grandparents are from the big apple born and raised and they would talk so much **** to me and my cousins growing up. But it all was true and motivated us to do better. Hopefully Les had this one on one talk with our best player.

Remember guys the city hated Hakeem for a little while before he took this city on a dream for 2 years. Here's to hoping a younger Harden can turn it around soon for this great fity and team.

 

Because he is a good businessman, and a good businessman will never tell the whole world that my goods are damaged until after he can find a good trade.

 

lol :grin:

 

I am not a fan of Les but in this instance I am - firing McHale is costing him money and that alone is probably pissing him off.

DD

 

Except it is his team. You literally couldn't be more wrong on this statement.

 

So J.B. Bickerstaff is being given the rest of the season? What if the Rockets keep losing?

 

Yep. Not our team at all, legally. He can move it to Seattle next year and we can't do a damn thing, really. He just has to pay the fees for breaking leases. I'm sure that what I said is probably 30% legally accurate, but conceptually we don't own the team in any fashion at all, so it's not our team, regardless of emotional attachment.

 

Alexander: I’m watching the games, I’m watching us lose by huge amounts and not playing hard. Then I watched the Boston game, and before the game starts, I know we’re going to lose. I knew I was going to lose to Dallas, and I thought we’d lose the game before that. Then we played Boston, and I was 100 percent sure we’d lose even when we were up, I knew we were going to lose. So, I’m watching the games, I know we’re not playing hard or good defense, not moving the ball well, it doesn’t look like a good team, we look very ragged and then when they got up on us in the fourth quarter when we were up by 15 or so -- I didn’t watch the fourth quarter. First time I never watched a quarter of my team's play, I knew we were going to lose. I don’t like to watch losing. It’s no fun losing. At that point, a decision needs to be made here.

Les is a member of ClutchFans!

 

He sounds like me, lol. I haven't decided if that's a good or bad thing yet. Maybe it's a New York thing.

 

Pretty much this, so all the specualtion is true

 

He wasnt crazy consistent, but def more consistent than the year before

 

I said he was right to; I just said I didn't like it.

Plus, it's a little funny when he talks about it. It's as if NBA players end their huddle with "Let's do it for the owner!!!"

 

this season so far:

les - A-;
morey - C;
mchale - F;
harden - F;
everyone else - i dont care and didnt matter much.

 

Loved this. As a fan, you want nothing more from an owner than to care this much about winning. And, crucially, be willing to back it up (with actions and $).

I don't care what drives his desire to win (money, pride, bragging rights, boredom, whatever). I just care that the owner and fans are aligned.

If Les owned the Texans: David Carr would never have had that option year picked up. Rick Smith would be gone (or at the very least barred from input on 2nd and 3rd rounders), and we'd have tried to pimp ex-starting safety Matt Stevens in China for his Chinese lettering tats. Ok, so perhaps only 2 of the preceding 3 things are true.

 

This is why many years ago I stopped using words like us, we, our, etc when referring to sports.

The only city that owns its team is Green Bay.